


The Quest

by astraplain



Category: Glee
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-17
Updated: 2015-05-17
Packaged: 2018-03-30 22:11:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,606
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3953650
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/astraplain/pseuds/astraplain
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Adam must rescue Kurt's heart</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Quest

**Author's Note:**

> Partially based on a variant of the fairy tale, "The Giant Who Had No Heart in His Body"

Adam wrapped the last of his provisions and returned them to the saddle bag without eating a bite. There was a faint hollowness in his stomach but he wasn't desperate yet and there was always the chance he’d find some berries or edible leaves.

“A faithful heart is a happy heart,” he sang as he walked. Apple, his horse, was as weary as Adam, but this was best Adam could do for him.

Their quest began seventy-three days ago, driven equally by desperation and desire. Regardless of the final outcome, they could not fail.

+++++

“What have you done to him?” Adam cried, struggling against Santana’s surprisingly strong grip. Kurt was laid out on the bed, so still and pale he looked more like a statue than the vibrant man Adam loved.

“I did what I had to do!” Santana snapped, hauling Adam away from Kurt’s body. “It was the only way to save his life.”

“Why?” Adam wailed, turning to face her, trying to understand.

“Because the dark one nearly claimed him,” she said, her voice and posture losing some of their rigidity. She seemed to shrink in front of him and, no matter how angry and confused he was, Adam couldn't stop himself from reaching out to offer her comfort. Santana caught his hands for the briefest of moments then pulled away.

“It was foretold,” she reminded him. It was true, Kurt had told Adam about the curse laid upon his family generations ago. It had cost him his mother and now it had tried to take Kurt.

“What must I do?” Adam asked, no longer able to wait for explanations. He was no wizard but he understood that even the smallest spells came at a price; surely whatever Santana had done to save Kurt was costing her dearly.

“I sent his heart away for safekeeping. You must return it to him.” Santana stared at him for a long time and Adam could feel her measuring his worth. At last she gave him a nod, then surged forward taking up pen and parchment and writing rapidly. Adam stood back and made a mental packing list while he waited.

+++++

“One hundred days.” Adam could still hear the warning in Santana’s voice. Any longer and her hold on the spell would slip and Kurt’s life would be in danger.

“Find the mountain that holds a well that holds a duck that holds a ruby egg. Inside the egg is Kurt’s heart.” Adam had repeated Santana’s instructions so many time they’d become a song, one he sang as he traveled, both as a reminder and as a bit of comfort in foreign lands.

He’d been on a journey once before, leaving his homeland in search of new opportunities. It had been hard, making a place for himself, but he’d managed and eventually thrived. He’d also fallen in love.

Kurt. His Kurt. So careful to hide his generous, loving heart. Kurt hadn't shed a tear for himself when he’d explained the curse that plagued his family, punishment for an ancestor’s faithlessness that had outlasted both Kurt’s ancestor and the man who’d cursed her. 

Adam had to save him, no matter what the cost.

“Wait here and rest,” Adam told his horse as he tethered Apple loosely to a misshapen tree at the foot of a small, steep mountain. It was practically a sheer wall of rock, but Adam climbed anyway, repeating Santana’s instructions over and over until the words no longer made sense; they were just sounds that helped him concentrate as he climbed.

The structure at the top was little more than an irregular circle of stones around a puddle. Swimming inside was a beautiful golden duck.

“Hullo,” Adam greeted, kneeling beside the stone circle and extending a palm with a few precious bread crumbs to the duck. It hissed at him and swam to the far side, which was still within Adam’s reach. Rather than snatching up the poor creature, he simply moved his hand closer and waited. After a few minutes with no results, Adam began to sing.

It was a folk song from his old home, one that his mother had taught him, and Kurt loved. It didn't matter that it was about a dark time in his people’s history, Adam sang it like a love song.

“Take your time,” Adam said as the duck moved closer and started to eat the crumbs, plucking them from his hand without biting.

When the crumbs were gone, the duck bumped her head against Adam’s hand. After doing that three times, Adam got the message and lightly stroked the birds feathers while singing a children’s rhyming verse. By the time the song was finished, the duck had fallen asleep.

“Are you the one I’m after?” Adam asked as he gently lifted the bird from the water and held her against his chest. There, tucked up against the duck’s body, held in place by her webbed feet, was an egg. It was as red as a ruby.

Freeing it carefully, Adam wrapped the egg in a soft cloth he’d been carrying and tucked it into the inner pocket of his jacket. Sensing the movement, the duck woke and realized the egg was gone. With a cry, she flapped her wings violently.

“I’m sorry,” Adam apologized, setting the duck down. She waddled away quickly, turned to hiss at him once, then took flight. Surprisingly, the duck didn't actually leave. Instead, she flew at Adam, practically chasing him down the mountain.

“I can’t give the egg back,” Adam explained as he took a beautifully carved box from his saddlebag. Apple was standing patiently, ignoring the duck that had landed on his back and was watching Adam’s every move. “This was my mum’s.” he showed the duck the box, opening it to reveal the silk-lined interior. It was the finest thing Adam owned, and one of only a handful of mementos of his parents.

Setting the empty box on a flat stone, Adam knelt and took the egg from his pocket. The duck was still on Apple’s back, watching. Adam held the egg cupped in both hands and bowed his head over it, silently telling Kurt he loved him before striking the egg against the rock.

“Thank you, Santana,” Adam breathed as the thin eggshell fell away to reveal a heart shaped stone underneath. It was cold and hard to the touch and Adam clutched it to his chest for a moment, trying not to cry. It was the duck’s impatient honk that got him moving again.

Although it was wrapped in cloth and tucked into the silk-lined box, Adam couldn't bring himself to put Kurt’s heart in a saddlebag. Instead, Adam tucked it back into his inner jacket pocket, despite the tight fit.

“Take me home, Apple,” Adam urged as he climbed on the horse’s back. Apple snorted and set off at a brisk trot, despite being hungry and tired. In front of them, the duck flew, acting as their guide. They made it back to Kurt in six days.

“Brittany,” Santana held up her arm and the duck landed on it, nuzzling against Santana’s neck. Adam watched them, smiling despite his exhaustion. He’d barely rested or eaten on his way home.

“Well?” Snapping fingers brought Adam out of his daze. He blinked at Santana for a moment before realizing what she wanted. Taking the box from his pocket, Adam opened it and unwrapped Kurt’s heart. He was about to hand it to her when he misjudged and the heart slipped from his fingers. Adam watched in horror as it fell…

… only to have Brittany dive in and catch it in her beak. She delivered it safely into Santana’s hands and settled on a small table beside her, giving Adam a honk. Santana laughed and gave Brittany an affectionate pat.

“Don’t make Kurt wait any longer,” Adam pleaded, suddenly afraid that something else might go wrong before Kurt was restored to health.

“He’s fine,” Santana said absently, She carried the heart to Kurt and waited impatiently for Adam to fold back the blankets and move aside the shirt that was covering Kurt’s chest.

Gasping in shock, Adam finally saw the toll Santana;s spell had taken on Kurt.

“He looks as if he’s aged thirty years,” Adam cried.

“Yes, and under that cloth on his chest is a giant hole where this" - she lifted the heart - "belongs. If you would get the cloth out of the way I could put this back.”

Adam hurried to do as he’d been told. He watched as Santana murmured words too low to hear and held his breath as she set the cold, hard stone in the cavity where Kurt’s warm and beating heart should be. It wasn't until Adam saw it start to beat that he let out the breath he’d been holding.

Unable to stop himself, Adam dropped to his knees and leaned over to kiss Kurt’s heart. A tear dropped onto its slowly warming surface and there was a sudden flare of silver light. Kurt arched off the bed, his eyes flying open. He looked around wildly, his mouth moving, but making no sound, even as he fell back onto the bed.

“What’s happening?” Adam demanded as Santana shoved him aside and increased the speed and volume of her chanting.

The silver light flared again even as Santana used a spell to heal Kurt’s chest. The light sent them both back, forcing them to shield their eyes. Across the room Brittany’s wild honking turned into a scream.

Fighting against the light, Adam staggered forward, throwing himself down across Kurt’s shaking body and holding him tightly.

“I love this man,” Adam cried to whatever forces were responsible for this. “I will not let you harm him.”

Beneath him, Kurt’s eyes opened wide and he cried out, every syllable torn from him as if he were being tortured.

“You have no claim on my heart. It belongs to Adam.”

The light flared even brighter for a moment, despite Santana’s efforts to contain it with a spell. Without warning, the light fractured into tiny sparkles. They rained down, fading as they fell.

“What happened?” Adam demanded, lifting himself off a too-still Kurt. Adam lifted Kurt’s limp body holding him as if afraid he would disappear.

“He’s just sleeping.” An unfamiliar blonde woman stepped out of the shadows. Santana ran to her, wrapping her in a tight embrace. “I’m back, San.”

“I don’t understand,” Adam said quietly as he brushed Kurt’s hair back from his forehead. Kurt was still cold, but Adam could feel his pulse, and there was a hint of color in Kurt’s youthful face.

“The spell is broken,” the blonde woman told him. She laughed as Adam studied her, and then flapped her arms to help him understand that she was Brittany, finally returned to her true form. “Kurt’s family isn't the only one that was cursed.”

“I’m glad you are free,” Adam told her sincerely, giving Santana a nod as well.

“As is Kurt,” Santana assured him. “Let him rest.” She leaned in and sniffed pointedly. “You might want to use the time to bathe and change.”

“Wise as ever,” Adam replied lightly, finally feeling as if he could breathe without a heavy weight on his chest. “With your indulgence, I will return shortly.”

“We’ll have a meal waiting,” Brittany assured him, giving Adam a hug before he left.

Adam lived nearby, but he took the time to tend Apple and make sure he was well fed before attending to his own needs. There were sores on his feet to be treated with salve and wrapped along with an array of cuts and bruises that he’d acquired on his quest. By the time he’d bathed and tended to them all, it was late afternoon and his hunger was outweighed only by his desire to sleep. The walk back to Santana’s took far too long and Adam nearly collapsed into a chair as soon as he arrived.

“Dinner is almost ready,” Brittany assured him as she set plates and utensils on the table. Adam looked over at Kurt’s blanket covered form and smiled even as his eyes closed and he drifted off to sleep.

There was singing in his dream today. This was the first time since Kurt had fallen under the spell and Adam found himself humming along as he walked. There were flowers in his dreams as well, and exotic reminders of the things he’d seen in his travels. And there, in the distance, was what he dreamed of so often.

“Kurt,” he said as he walked toward the familiar figure, unaware that he’d spoken aloud as well as in his dream.

“I’m here,” Kurt assured him, moving closer. Adam could feel the warmth of Kurt’s hands on his back as they embraced. “My love, I’m here.”

Kurt’s lips were soft and sweet. Tears of happiness flowed freely as Adam returned the kiss.

“Adam. Wake up, my love.”

Adam started awake, crying out at the sight of his dream Kurt in the flesh. He was wrapped in a blanket, not silk, and he’d lost a little weight, but the sight of him took Adam’s breath away.

“Kurt!” Adam threw himself forward, gathering Kurt up in his arms and spinning him around, mindful of the small space. They laughed until they were crying, clinging to each other as if they’d never let go. And then they were kissing, desperate and needy and uncaring that they had an audience.

“If you’re going to get naked could you at least wait until we eat?” Santana asked as she thumped a platter of meat down onto the table.

“Don’t be jealous,” Kurt replied calmly, giving Adam one last kiss before letting him go to take a seat; he was starving. “Adam brought Brittany back.”

“He did. And I helped him return your heart.” Brittany kissed Santana’s cheek and took a seat next to Kurt, giving his hand a squeeze.

“We helped each other,” Adam said as he sat to Kurt’s left and reached for a slice of bread.

“Sentimental slop,” Santana grouched as she set a bowl of cooked green beans down on the table and finally sat. The table was loaded with far more food than they would normally eat in one meal. She’d even baked a loaf of cinnamon bread for dessert. And, although she complained when they complemented her, she’d smiled through the entire meal.

“You’ll stay here tonight,” Santana told Adam as he helped her wash the dishes after the meal. “She missed him.” Her eyes strayed to where Brittany and Kurt were sitting together, talking quietly. Adam had insisted that Brittany rest while he helped in the kitchen, sure that removing the spell had taken its toll on her as it had on Kurt.

“If you don’t mind, I will,” Adam assured her. “Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me. It’s you who’ll get to sit with him if he has another bad night. Brittany and I need our rest.”

“I know you do. This wasn't easy on you,Santana, but you saved their lives and you deserve our thanks.”

“Go kiss your man, you big bowl of mush,” Santana gave Adam a push in Kurt’s direction and he went gladly. With Kurt in his arms and Santana and Brittany next to them, Adam felt peaceful and content. It had been a long time, and he let himself relax and savor the feeling.

No matter what Santana thought, Adam never really believed in happily ever after. But this? This was close enough, and that was all Adam had ever hoped for.

::end::


End file.
